Health Risks Associated with Peripheral Artery Disease

Top Health Risks Associated with Peripheral Artery Disease

Our vascular specialists at the USA Vascular Centers treat hundreds of patients each year who suffer from Peripheral Artery Disease, also known as PAD. PAD affects over 5% of all Americans over the age of fifty; however, your chance of developing PAD increase greatly if you’re obese, smoke, have high blood pressure, or have high cholesterol. As we continue to expand across the country, opening new practices each year, we make it our mission to bring awareness to the health risks that are associated with this common disease. With our presence continuing to grow in the North East – New England area, we aim to treatment more patients that ever before who are seeking peripheral artery disease treatment in MA. From our current clinics in California to our new vascular center in Massachusetts, we are expressing the top health risks that are associated with peripheral artery disease to every patient of ours.

Because PAD can go unnoticed for months or even years, treating the disease in the early stages can be extremely difficult. By the time most patients notice symptoms related to PAD, their disease has progressed and they require the non-surgical procedure, Stent Angioplasty. However, not all patients who seek peripheral artery disease treatment in Massachusetts (MA) will need this procedure. Those who are diagnosed with PAD early on can combat the disease with

exercise, medication, and simple lifestyle changes. Although, preventive treatment is only useful if you understand the risks they try to avoid.

First, untreated PAD can cause severe swelling and pressure throughout your legs and arms. This swelling results from the lack of blood flow in your arteries, causing blood to collect. As blood pools, it can damage the surrounding tissue and harden the arteries, also known as Atherosclerosis. Prolonged tissue damage is referred to as critical limb ischemia. This leads to sores and gangrene to develop. While not every patient develops this severity of PAD, it is a major health risk to be aware of.

Next, if large amounts of tissue are damaged and blood flow is restricted to select parts of your body, such as feet and hands, you may develop nerve damage. The nerve endings in these parts of your body are held under constant, high pressure due to the buildup of excess blood. Over time, the nerve endings weaken and become damaged. This can lead to a lack of or complete loss of mobility in your arms, legs, hands, and feet.

Last, and most severe, PAD can lead to the formation of blood clots. Blood clots form when blood collects in a vein and cannot flow properly. When the blood clot forms, your blood pressure builds behind the clot and can trigger a sudden release of force. If this happens, the blood clot can move to other parts of your body, such as your lungs, heart, or even your brain.

Once a blood clot is released, it is impossible to control where it will move to. The most dangerous risks associated with blood clots are heart attacks, strokes, or aneurisms. In patients with PAD, these risks are often more than not fatal.